Sharks shake off Buffalo curse in 4-1 win

SAN JOSE – More than seven years after their last regulation win over Buffalo in San Jose, the Sharks shook off a 1-0 deficit to turn back the Sabres 4-1 at SAP Center Tuesday night.
Joe Pavelski recorded two goals as San Jose won for the ninth time in 37 games against Buffalo. The Sharks wrap up the homestand with games against St. Louis on Thursday and Anaheim Saturday.
After the Sharks came away from the second period with a 2-1 lead, Pavelski scored his 28th goal of the campaign at the 5:28 mark when he moved to the bottom of the left circle and redirected a long rebound into the Buffalo net.
Logan Couture helped the Shark cause with his 24th goal of the year off assists from Joel Ward and Patrick Marleau. Couture worked the puck toward the Sabres’ net before his low shot was flipped over goaltender Robin Lehner and into the netting at 14:57 of the third period.
The Sharks finished with a 41-23 edge in shots on net.
The Sharks peppered Lehner with 20 shots on net in the first 20 minutes, a season-high for San Jose in the opening period. By the time the first intermission began, Buffalo had the lone goal, Jack Eichel’s 26th of the season.
The Sabres rolled through the opening period with nine shots on net at San Jose netminder Martin Jones. The Sharks had a 1-0 deficit on Eichel’s stuff past Jones 70 seconds into action. Buffalo defenseman Josh Gorges began the scoring play when he skimmed a shot from the top of the left circle that bounded off Shark Paul Martin. The loose puck was picked up by Matt Moulson, who quickly found Eichel open at the right post for the score.
San Jose appeared to draw even 10:47 into the first period when rookie Marcus Sorensen jammed a puck past Lehner. Defenseman Brent Burns had worked toward the Buffalo net with the puck before his scoring bid was turned back by Lehner. The rebound was left to Sorensen at the right post for the potential equalizer. One official waived off the goal because Burns was found to have interfered with the goaltender. Coach Peter DeBoer called for a coaches’ challenge but the ensuing review did not change the official’s ruling.
San Jose enjoyed a 15-5 edge in shots on the net in the second period and came away with a 2-1 lead.
Buffalo’s third penalty of the night resulted in a tying goal from Pavelski. When Gorges was whistled for holding at 10:57, San Jose needed 50 seconds to put a puck past Lehner. Couture sent a low shot from the right flank to an unmarked Pavelski in the slot. Pavelski’s one-timer flew past Lehner, leaving both Pavelski and Burns with 27 goals temporarily to pace the San Jose offense.
San Jose’s Micheal Haley was credited with his second goal of the season and fifth in 120 NHL games as the Sharks took a 2-1 lead with 49.4 seconds left in the second period. Haley’s stick briefly stopped a Sabre attempt to move out of the Buffalo area. Eichel’s attempt to control the puck near the goal line resulted in the puck dribbling toward the blue ice and under Lehner.